What Does God Say About...
Abuse
Some topics carry over and have many things in common with another, but some topics are unique on their own. I wanted to start this one out by explaining a few things in case you are coming from a standpoint of a new relationship with God and maybe even no relationship with Him at all, yet. Maybe you came across this page from an internet search. First, let me say – GOD LOVES YOU! Once sin entered the earth, by Adam’s free will, things began to happen that God never wanted to happen. God NEVER wanted you abused or hurt! It wasn’t His plan or His fault – and it wasn’t your fault!! I don’t care what the abuser may have said, IT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT! I don’t care what “well-meaning” friends or family may have told you – IT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT! God wants to heal you of all your pain. He wants to heal you of all your trauma. He wants you to be able to get to the point where you can forgive your abuser – that doesn’t mean to be reconciled back with your abuser. It simply means God doesn’t want unforgiveness and bitterness holding you back from the amazing things He has for you. For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11 TLB Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. - Ephesians 5:25 MSG Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires. – Psalm 37:4 NLT He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. – Psalm 147:3 NLT But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive you your sins too. – Mark 11:25 TLB Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. – Romans 8:37 AMP If you will only listen and obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, He will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall always have the upper hand. – Deuteronomy 28:13 TLB Say this prayer aloud: God, You see everything that happened to me. I was so angry – with You, with the abuser, with myself – and maybe I still am. Help me overcome my anger. Help me overcome my pain and hurt and torment. Help me overcome the fear that it will all happen again. Help me know and trust You, that You will take care of me as I follow You and follow Your guidance. Help me to breathe again. You say that the power of life and death is in my words. So, I speak now that I am free. I am free from my past. I am free from the fear of my past. I am free from all anger and guilt that has tormented me. I speak freedom to my mind. I receive Your healing. I declare my victory in overcoming my past just as You promise I will if I follow Your ways of living [Deuteronomy 28:13.] I love You and thank You for never giving up on me! In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Addiction
Christ has freed us so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. Therefore, be firm in this freedom, and don’t become slaves again. – Galatians 5:1 “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest. – Matthew 11:28-29 GNT I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. – Philippians 4:13 GNT For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. – 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, He does. – 1 Peter 5:8-10 MSG A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls. – Proverbs 25:28 NLT So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you. Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery]. [As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins]. Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant]. – James 4:7-10 AMPC So there is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus. – Romans 8:1 TLB Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. – 2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP Say this aloud: Father God, I confess to You and repent of all the areas I have failed in. I thank You, that You are faithful and just to forgive me just as You promise in Your Word in 1 John 1:9. I thank You, for Your faithfulness. Thank You, that You are always with me. You love me with an everlasting love and nothing I have done has made You love me any less. Thank You, that nothing can separate me from Your love [Romans 8:38-39.] Thank You, for giving me a spirit of discipline. I walk in self-discipline every moment of every day. I walk in the strength You have given me. I give over to You, anything that is trying to tempt me back into my old life. I thank You, that Your mercies are new every morning. I don’t have to feel shameful over my past, for there is no condemnation for those who remain in You. Thank You, for helping me each day. Every day that I wake up, I am stronger and healthier. Every day, I exert self-control. I love You and I thank You, in Jesus’s name – Amen!
Alcohol
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV I can hear you say, "For me, all things are permitted." But face the facts: all things are not beneficial. So you say, "For me, all things are permitted." Here is my response: I will not allow anything to control me. - 1 Corinthians 6:12 The Voice Translation Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. - Ephesians 5:18 NLT Wine makes you mean, beer makes you quarrelsome - a staggering drunk is not much fun. - Proverbs 20:1 MSG
Bullying
I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and He saved me from my enemies. – Psalm 18:3 NLT God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are My followers. – Matthew 5:11 NLT Because you love Me, I will rescue you. I will protect you because you know My name. When you call to Me, I will answer you. I will be with you when you are in trouble. I will save you and honor you. I will satisfy you with a long life. I will show you how I will save you. – Psalm 91:14-16 GWT For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. - 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. - Joshua 1:5 NLT Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. - Ephesians 4:29 NIV For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. - Ephesians 6:12-13 NIV Don’t let anyone look down on you for being young. Instead, make your speech, behavior, love, faith, and purity an example for other believers. – 1 Timothy 4:12 GWT Though I am surrounded by troubles, You will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out Your hand, and the power of Your right hand saves me. - Psalm 138:7 NLT “Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because GOD, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.”- Deuteronomy 31:6 MSG "Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you." - Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9 AMP Say this prayer aloud: Lord, You are my Rock, my Fortress, and my Savior, in whom I find protection. You are a promise-keeping GOD. I thank You for being a refuge of safety for those who are being hurt by others through physical or mental violence. Give me the strength to speak out and acknowledge what's happening to me and others. I will not endure this in silence anymore! I will rise up in the name of JESUS and say, ‘No more, devil!’ I will fight the good fight of faith with words and deeds. Who the Son has set free is free indeed, and I declare that I am free indeed! I DECLARE THIS MY DAY OF FREEDOM!! In Jesus’s Mighty Name, AMEN!!
Death
We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV For me to live is Christ [His life in me], and to die is gain [the gain of the glory of eternity]. – Philippians 1:21 AMPC Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. - John 5:25 NIV Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” -John 11:25-26 NIV And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with Him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet Him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 NLT Say this prayer aloud – Jesus, You are my GOD and the lifter of my head. I come into Your presence, depending on you my Comforter, my Helper, my Strengthener, my Leaning Post in this time of sorrow. I trust what You say in 1 Thessalonians, that I will see my loved one(s) again one day. I rejoice in that truth. In Hebrews 12:1-2, You told us to persevere in this race that was set before us with JOY! So, I decide to rejoice in You, my Savior and my LORD, because to be absent from the body is to be present in the LORD. I will look to you, Lord, the Author and the Finisher of my faith. In Jesus’s name, Amen!
Sex
God created sex - and it's a good thing. God created it to be within the confines of marriage. He never intended it to be done outside of marriage. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and embrace his wife. They become one flesh. - Genesis 2:24 MSG Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine. - Song of Solomon 1:2 NLV But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. - 1 Corinthians 7:9 ESV Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. - Hebrews 13:4 ESV
Suicide
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NIV Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? – Matthew 6:26 NIV You have searched me, Lord, and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and You lay Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You. For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are Your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with You. – Psalm 139:1-18 NIV No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 NIV assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. – Ephesians 4:21-24 ESV So let God work His will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him make himself scarce. Say a quiet yes to God and He’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. James 4:7-8 MSG Say this prayer aloud: Father, I trust You because You are my firm foundation. I cast my fears, the voice and whispers from the enemy, and these negative thoughts over to You because You care for me and will sustain me. I need You, LORD, at this dark period in my life. Thank You, that You will never leave me nor forsake me. I say aloud, I will live and not die and complete my assignment down here in Jesus’s name. You call me valuable. You designed me to be unique and amazing. You call me chosen. You call me wanted. I speak peace to my mind. I speak peace to my heart. So now, I pick up the PHONE and call for help because You, Lord, direct my steps. You will cause all things to work out for my good, because I love You [Romans 8:28]. Thank You, Lord, for strengthening me, especially during this time, In Jesus’s name, Amen!